WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO STORE MY CANS?

No matter how perfect your fill, how clean your lines, or how dialled-in your carbonation is — if your cans haven’t been stored and handled correctly, you’re already fighting an uphill battle. Can storage is one of the most overlooked parts of a successful packaging run, and it’s one of the easiest things to get right with a little know-how.

Here’s what we’ve learned after nearly a decade on the road.

Wrapping Up Your Pallets

How you wrap a pallet at the end of a run sets you up for success — or headaches — next time around. The goal is a tight, clean wrap with no gaps in the cardboard slip sheets for dust, insects, or moisture to sneak through.

Ideally, always try to finish on a full layer. A complete layer wraps cleanly and stays secure. We know that’s not always possible — nobody wants to leave good liquid in a tank just to tidy up a pallet — so here are your options when you’re left with a partial layer:

• Small amount of cans remaining: Box them up, tape the cases closed, and set them aside for your next run.
• Mostly full layer: Shift the cans toward the edges of the pallet — this makes it much easier to get a tight, secure wrap.
• Last half layer of product: Consider kegging it and selling it over the bar. Never a bad outcome.

Once you’re ready to wrap, place a clean slip sheet on top of the final layer, fold the plastic wrap up on all four sides, and tape it down securely. Then add a plastic collar on top and tape that down too — it keeps the slip sheet and wrap in place, especially if your storage area gets a bit of airflow.

On ECC filling days, our crew will wrap your leftover pallets before we leave. What happens after that is in your hands — so read on.

Storing Cans at Your Facility

Keep them inside — always. Wind, rain, and dust are the enemies of a good can. Even a well-wrapped pallet can be compromised by the elements, and rain in particular has a nasty habit of soaking through slip sheets and working its way down to the cans. Inside only, no exceptions.

Stack smart. Always place a partially used pallet on top of a full, unopened one — never the other way around. The weight of a full pallet sitting on a partial one can cause damage to the cans below.

Location matters. Even indoors, where you store your cans makes a difference:

• Away from grain bins — grain attracts insects and pests, and you don’t want them anywhere near your empty cans.
• Away from cleaning areas — everyday brewery cleaning, especially chemical cleaning, can introduce moisture. Store pallets in the driest part of your facility.

Don’t Forget About Your Lids

Lids are just as important as the cans themselves — and they’re more sensitive than people realise. A small dent or bend in a lid might seem minor, but it can have a significant impact on your finished product and the efficiency of your filling run.

Damaged lids typically cause one of two problems:

• They get stuck in the chute, stopping the machine while the lid is cleared — usually meaning 5–7 cans need to be set aside due to dissolved oxygen exposure.
• They make it through and don’t seam properly, resulting in leaking cans. This is the outcome we’re all working hard to avoid.

Handle lid sleeves with care, store them somewhere dry and protected, and treat them with the same respect as the cans themselves.

A little care in storage goes a long way toward a smooth, high-quality run. If you’ve got questions about best practices for your specific setup, your Customer Partner is always happy to help.